Neighbors George (Wade Byington) and Emily (Shelby Walker) draw closer, literally, in this rehearsal scene from "Our Town," which opens a two-weekend run Sept. 21 at the Paramount Theatre.(Photo: Greg Jaklewicz)

Smoot is directing "Our Town," the Thornton Wilder classic that is celebrating its 80th year. And if you know the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, it goes back to the early 1900s. As throwbacks go, this is going deep.

"Our Town" is the Paramount's third fall drama, following "Osage" and "Bakersfield Mist" that featured just two actors on stage, the husband-wife duo of Charlie and Betty Hukill.

The Paramount was seeking a drama to offset its long-running summer musical.

"It's a true American theater classic," Smoot said of "Our Town." "It's an important piece of literature."

Mary Glover is the stage manager who narrates the story of a small American community in "Our Town," this year's Paramount Theatre fall drama. It opens Sept. 21.(Photo: Greg Jaklewicz)

Like "Osage," "Our Town" deals with ordinary people and family themes. But, he said, the worlds are completely different.

Even in 1938, when "Our Town" arrived and the nation was crawling out of an economic hole but toward war, Wilder was harkening to a simpler time when Americans greatly valued family and those who worked the land.

Smoot said it, too, was a "kinder, gentler" America at the turn of the century, in Wilder's view, and he tells his people story in three parts: birth, life and death. Through this march in time, the audience considers, Smoot said, the "universal issue of what legacy do you want to leave behind?"

“It's a true American theater classic. It's an important piece of literature.”

Barry Smoot, about the new Paramount Theatre production of "Our Town"

Truths and values are explored in a "warm and touching" way in "Our Town," he said.

Wilder presents ordinary lives and ordinary events in a more "pure and innocent" time that he believed people could relate to in his day.

Can we relate, as Wilder's first audiences did eight decades ago?

Smoot believes so, and that's where his role as director comes in.

The Paramount recently performed the classic "Fiddler on the Roof." It's set about the same time period as "Our Town," though Russia is worlds away from Thornton's Grover's Corners, New Hampshire.

What Smoot did with "Fiddler" was present its themes in a way today's audience could appreciate — the changing family dynamic as children grow up, new ways of doing old things, and forced displacement, all of which were affecting a jovial father's role as head of the household, his standing in the community and his fondness of tradition.

Simon Stimson (Scot Miller), a choir director who often shows up for practice in a drunken state, walks away from Mr. Webb (George Levesque), the local newspaper editor and the father of central figure Emily, in this rehearsal scene from "Our Town," this year's fall drama at the Paramount Theatre.(Photo: Greg Jaklewicz)

The Paramount's "Fiddler" led audiences to consider the refugee issue. "Our Town" audiences may consider what makes America great.

Smoot is not trying to be political, but wants audience to think. It's one way he can pay homage to a classic, yet make it more accessible to a new generation of theatergoers.

There are other ways, too. For example, his use of screen projections and "playing a little with the clothing," such as adding pieces not from the time period that makes attentive audience look twice.

In "Fiddler" and in "Our Town," the presentation of dialogue is modernized. Not so much the words but the rhythm of delivery. The actors will speak more the way we do now.

"Our Town" will not be a spectacle. Smoot doesn't want to say his set is stark but the story is told in a theater. The Paramount stage will be cleared to show pipes, the loading dock and other backstage features normally hidden from the audience.

Two women, Mrs. Gibbs Elise Pryor-Harden, left) and Mrs. Soams (Paige Sproles) gossip about the goings on in town in this rehearsal scene of "Our Town," which opens Sept. 21 at the Paramount Theatre.(Photo: Greg Jaklewicz)

"We using the stage as the stage," he said. "It will be very abstract."

Stage props will be few — chairs, two tables and a ladder.

Lighting will be important. There will be 55 vintage light bulbs hung, moving up and down to create the desired mood. For example, in the third act, the lights will be lowered behind chairs that become tombstones to create the atmosphere for a funeral.

The main character is the stage manager, who narrates. Local stage veteran Mary Glover was cast for this central role.

The story is centered on a boy and girl who live next to each other as kids and marry before in death do they part. She dies giving birth.

The story expands to include how those around them — including a professor, milkman and choir director — react to the joys and sorrows in their lives.

Smoot said the audience relates to "Our Town" because there is something that happens or is said that creates a reaction "all of us have experienced."

The boy, George, is Abilene Christian University student Wade Byington, who was Motel, the young tailor in "Fiddler." The girl, Emily, is Shelby Walker, a Hardin-Simmons student. She was Cosette in the Paramount's "Les Miserables" a few summers ago, and Rapunzel in its production of "Into the Woods."

Her parents are George Levesque (the newspaper editor), the new executive director of the Paramount and longtime stage performer here, and Kayla Weinkauf. She was seen twice last year at Abilene Community Theatre, in "Doubt" and the Vietnam War-era drama "A Piece of My Heart."

His parents are Alan Jones (the town doctor) and Elise Pryor-Harden, both of whom have logged roles at ACT. Harden also was in the "Les Mis" ensemble.

The cast totals 23, which is large for a stage production.

In hopes of bringing "Our Town" to a younger audience, Abilene and Wylie students —any student who calls to ask — can purchase $18 tickets at half price.